E3 2018 Predictions

The world's techy titans converge on Los Angeles to amplify anticipation for the gaming year ahead

The gaming world is gearing up for the annual E3 conference, and that means a whole new slew of video game announcements, updates and developments to keep gamers happy and looking forward to the future.

For those not in the know, E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo, a yearly event for the gaming industry titans to showcase their upcoming projects, whether that be games, consoles or new programmes. Usually held in Los Angeles at the beginning of the summer, E3 2018 is taking place from Tuesday 12th June until Friday 15th June, during which there will be conferences by gaming industry behemoths such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, EA, and Bethesda among others. Usually these companies and developers tend to play their cards close to the chest, trying not to reveal anything until the conferences themselves, but we can begin to make educated guesses at what those reveals might end up being.

MicrosoftWe know that Microsoft unveiled their latest console, the Xbox One X, at last year’s E3 so another console reveal is highly unlikely. Given the Xbox One X’s high specifications, it is instead likely that there will be a shedload of announcements regarding games becoming 4K-compatible. Microsoft also released their open-world seafaring adventure Sea of Thieves this year, so look out for an expansion to that. New reveals may include Halo 6 or Fable 4, and possibly a more in-depth look at State of Decay 2.

SonyAnother console announcement for Sony is also unlikely, given the sales for the PS4 Pro, and so instead they may choose to focus on long-awaited titles that are moving forward, such as Death Stranding by the legendary Hideo Kojima, and The Last of Us Part II from developer Naughty Dog, who were also behind the action adventure franchise Uncharted.

NintendoNintendo caused something of an Internet meltdown amongst gamers when they announced earlier this year that a new instalment in the Super Smash Bros. franchise would be coming to their latest console, the Nintendo Switch. Expect to see more of that, as well as potential reveals for a teased instalment in the Pokémon franchise, and Metroid Prime 4.

BethesdaBethesda has already said that they are working on two more massive games before the release of Elder Scrolls 6, so players will have to tide themselves over with a likely announcement for an expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online, or The Elder Scrolls: Legends. Other than that, it is possible that a sequel to the 2016 reboot of the DOOM franchise could be announced for a late 2018/early 2019 release.

UbisoftAfter the success of Assassin’s Creed: Origins last year and because Ubisoft churn them out almost every year, it is possible that we may see a teaser of the beginnings for the next instalment in the franchise, though it is unlikely we’ll see a release date in 2018. There’s a possibility for a Far Cry 5 expansion, though I wouldn’t hold much hope for that seeing as most of the DLC was announced with bundle sales of the game at launch.

Alongside all of these potential teases, we also have many games from last year’s announcements to think about. Microsoft teased a new open-world adventure game from BioWare called Anthem, Sony announced titles such as the upcoming Spider-Man game, and Ubisoft showcased a cinematic trailer for Beyond Good and Evil 2. There’s lots to look forward to for gamers moving forward, and whatever happens at E3, gamers will have even more to get excited about as gaming conventions reveal more throughout the summer.